Sunday, November 27, 2011

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

This book has me so smitten! Stephanie Perkins sure does know how to write an engaging story; and it doesn't matter if contemporaries are your preferred genre or not, it's impossible not to get swept away with Anna and Etienne. This entire book is a delightful experience, and all of the complicated dilemmas and situations throughout this story are so real and possible. I love when a book can be so believable and really make me feel so many different emotions right along with the characters. Also, the majority of the book takes place in Paris and the author is so fantastic at describing it and making you feel like you're there, which is a truly magical experience as well.

Anna is one of my most favorite characters I've ever come across. She is so incredibly relatable, and has a multitude of endearing quirks that make her even more likable. Her inner monologue is something that I got such a kick out of. I laughed so loudly throughout this book that I'm pretty sure my poor cat is scarred for life (he likes to sit on the arm of my chair, and he found himself alarmed several times by my loud outbursts!).

Anna is complimented well by Etienne, who is the swoon-worthy boy with the English accent that quickly becomes Anna's best friend/love interest. This guy has serious charisma. He's so much better than I thought he would be. The time that Anna and Etienne spend together is so real, and you can actually feel the tension and chemistry between them. Their love story is among my top favorite love stories of all time.

The other friendships that Anna forges while in Paris are also quite memorable. Her entire group of friends are entertaining and diverse, and I found myself so swept up in all of them. They had their arguments and times of tension, but that's reality. Real friends stand by you, and Anna's friends are a true example of that.

I'm so glad I took my friend's advice and picked this book up, because Anna and the French Kiss turned out to be such a delightful read about friendship, first love and self discovery. This is a book I will definitely be re-reading whenever I feel I need a good dose of amusement and happiness.

To be honest, I WANTED to hate this book, but I couldn't! Stephanie Perkins sure knows how to write fantastic romances with incredible characters. I'm glad you enjoyed Anna, and I'm hoping you can pick up Lola soon.

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